Cloud with lightning emoji meaning

The cloud with lightning emoji shows a cloud with a sharp, yellow lightning bolt striking downward from its base. The lightning is jagged, symbolizing the powerful and unpredictable nature of a storm. The cloud looks dark and stormy, suggesting heavy weather. This emoji is often used to represent thunderstorms, especially those with lightning, and can also have a symbolic meaning. People sometimes use it to describe a tense or chaotic situation, a surprising or shocking event, or even strong emotions like anger or frustration. It can also indicate bad weather or unsettled conditions, making it versatile in both literal and figurative contexts.

The cloud with lightning emoji was approved in Unicode 7.0 and added in Emoji 1.0, see related proposal L2/11052